Sleepless nights of an unloved child
by cha cha dancer
Summary: She is abused and unloved by her father. But no one has noticed for 13 years and she plans to keep it that way. But once her secret is let out nothing will ever be the same for anyone. Sasusaku NejiSaku.
1. Oh my god

**Author's note: **Well here it is kiddos. My new and improved first chapter of _sleepless night of an unloved child_.

And from now on I am taking any ideas that I can get. So if you contact me and tell me your idea there is a good chance that it will be featured in my story. Who's ever I pick will get there name and story titles presented at the bottom of my chapters. I will be doing this for both of my story's so don't feel the need to rush your thinking process. You all know by now that I'm not the fastest writer here.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**Rules: **No flames please, enjoy the story, and don't comment on my horrible spelling.

**Chapter one:** "_Oh my god"_

"Psss!" came a loud whisper.

He turned his head up into the lush green trees above him.

His dark ebony hair fell over to the side, tickling his neck as he felt another presence behind him.

"Over here."

But before he could react he felt a hard fist come in contact with the left side of his already bruised face.

The loud impact caused several tired eyes to look up in astonishment towards the surprise victor of the 5 hour lasting fight.

Black obsidian eyes widened as his fingers reached and stretched. But failed to catch the dark rooted ground inches below him.

"Shit!" he cursed.

And in mere seconds he could feel his spine crack and snap against the hard thick brown trunk of the overgrown tree behind him.

His throat gave a quick lurch, and his eyes traveled wildly from side to side until they finally caught sight of the flickering green eyes he had been looking for.

His stomach twisted and knotted, partly from how his back seemed to bend itself in two as his heart beat faster in his ribcage. And because he hadn't seen those green eyes light up like that in a long time.

She was panting loudly. And looked like she would collapse any second.

She wavered a bit as she stumbled toward him. He was about to get up and catch her but she seemed to have everything under control.

She calmly walked over to him in small elite steps.

He watched her kneel down in front of him and slowly gather a large amount of chakara into her right hand.

Their spectators raised their heads higher, as if they had never seen her do this before.

"Yosh! She's even more beautiful in the light of her own chakara!" he heard Lee exclaim.

Lots of groans were heard over the crackling pop of the ball of light pink chakara in front of him.

He glared at her as soon as he saw the small smile form on her bloody lips from Lee's idiotic comment.

"How the hell do you have that much chakara right now?" he breathed out.

Blood spurted and crimpled out of his mouth.

She smirked contently as her left hand carefully rolled him over to his stomach and her right hand strolled the hypnotizing ball of energy a few inches above his back to see what work had to be done.

He winced.

"I extracted some from your body when I punched you in the head."

He groaned as he felt her warm hand lift up his shirt to revel his broken spine.

Her other hand came down and engulfed him in soothing warmth, as his spine moved back into its proper place.

"You punch like a hippo," he muttered.

"Says the guy who is laying on the ground with a broken spine," she replied.

He glared once more as the warm feeling quickly vanished, and his shirt was pulled back down again.

She helped him sit up.

"Do you need me to walk you home Sakura?"

"You ask me that everyday Sasuke."

"You have fan boys now…"

"And I'm sure you and Naruto's "talk" with them last week will keep them away today," she grinned.

And with that she turned around and walked away.

"BYE SAKURA-CHAN!" she heard Naruto and Lee yell.

She put her hand up in the air to acknowledge their ear throbbing good-byes.

"Sasuke-kun are you ok, did Sakura hurt you to much?" Ino called out.

He looked back at the retreating pink haired figure only a few feet in front of him.

_She has come a long way_, he thought.

"Sasuke-kun?" Ino called.

His head moved in the direction of his name.

"Do need me to carry you home, I know where you live. And I have a key and everything too. So you wouldn't have to worry about straining yourself, and maybe I could sleepover tonight that way-."

"SASUKE-TEME LETS GO! WE GOT TO CATCH UP WITH SAKURA'S FAN BOYS BEFORE SHE NOTICES WERE FOLLOWING HER AGAIN!" Naruto hollered from the opposite side of the tattered training grounds.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted.

_Why the hell is she so fucking special!_ Ino fumed.

She was about to apply a nasty comment. But as she scanned the training grounds for the last remaining Uchiha. She realized that she was the only one there to hear it.

-

-

-

"Daddy?" she breathed.

She charred soundlessly across the path of broken glass and dented floorboards until she had reached the blood spattered broken in door of her bedroom.

Her large duffel bag fell dully to the floor as she slipped into a large dark blue T-shirt, and put her hair up in a messy pink bun.

Her room was completely bare. Of the exception of a white thin blanket and a chunk of broken metal in the corner of the small boarded room.

She slowly lowered herself on to the floor, listening for any other sounds that weren't her own.

After 10 minutes of listening and waiting she finally sighed a huge wave of relief.

_I'm safe tonight._

She rested her head on her forearm as she tried her best to relax her body and fall magnetically asleep.

Her eyelids were dangerously close to being closed until she heard a loud slam in the front hallway.

Her eyes snapped open, and she sat straight up as if her back was made up of titanium metals.

Heavy footsteps pounded on the floor, while he came closer to the demented ash splint wood that held the only barrier between them.

Her heart was pounding vividly, and her armpits started to sweat progressively as the footsteps neared closer.

And suddenly…they stopped.

The world seemed to spin faster, and the silence seemed to become louder.

Her lungs felt as if they would explode if she held her breath any longer.

"Sakuraaa," he whispered outside her door.

_Oh my god._

-

-

-

The sun was too bright. And the birds were too loud. The wind was too windy. And the hair on the back of his neck was way to pointy.

He sat up.

_Something's not right,_ he thought.

Naruto's wide blue eyes wandered around the room, in search for any ramen that might have been stolen throughout the night.

"Hmmmm, nothing out of place," he muttered.

But the dark feeling in the pit of his stomach just wouldn't go away.

He tried walking around his bed 100 times but that knot just tightened even more.

"Damn," he muttered softly while plopping down on his large white pillow that sat in the middle of the room.

He scratched his greasy blond hair, and took a large inhale of the chilly breeze that swept through the open window.

His light blond eyelashes blinked rapidly as the wind caught up a little to quickly. His eyes watered over.

He began to rub his eyelids furiously, when something in the corner of his vision caught his attention.

As soon as his eyes came back into proper vision, all anyone could hear was the quick scrabbling of feet and a loud bang of the door slamming behind him as he darted into the chilly dewy morning of a bright new day.

And in his doorway laid a crumpled wilted cherry blossom.

-

-

-

She shifted uncomfortably in her awake, and rolled over and over again, until she finally decided to sit up.

Boy, that was a mistake.

Her head was pounding on a level of extreme.

And she couldn't feel her legs.

_My legs?_ She thought.

She looked down.

Small whimpers escaped her purple beaten lips.

"Oh my god," she whispered.

-

-

-

Sasuke could feel the immense chakara of his probation officers a couple feet away from where he was standing.

_Where are they?_

The soles of his feet started to ace from standing so long. And his eyes started to burn from the 12 minute staring contest he had been having with one of his prowl officers.

"SASUKE!"

He blinked.

"Damn it all to hell," he grunted.

Naruto stumbled across the rattling bridge, darting towards Sasuke's presence.

"Sasuke, I think Sakura's in trouble!"

Everyone's ears perked up in the mere mention of "Sakura" and "trouble" in the same sentence.

"Let's go," Sasuke whispered.

-

-

-

In any other situation she would have known what to do.

But she figured this case was far worse than any other situation she had encountered.

She knew he wasn't in the house with her anymore or else he would have punched her by now for screaming so loud.

Her mind was running a blank.

_What do I do?_

_What _can_ I do?_

She tilted her head back far enough so her tears wouldn't come out.

Her bloodshot eyes drifted back and forth across the ceiling, shifting over different patterns and designs she had never bothered to notice before.

The slightly ajar door to her left caught her attention.

She stood up shakily.

Her long fit legs stumbled across the blood soaked floor, giddily dragging to her destination.

She extended her fingers softly expecting to be stopped by the brass doorknob that had always been there.

But there was nothing.

_What the hell?_ She thought.

As soon as those thoughts raced through her mind, sharp vivid memories of last night swallowed her up into a dizzy irritable state.

She shivered slightly, as she lifted he right hand to the back of her head and carefully pulled out a large piece of brass that was tangled in her long pink tresses.

Her body shook with quiet sobs, while the hot oozing pain ventured around her head.

_I can't do this anymore._

She pulled back her hand back to find it was covered with warm red blood.

It dripped down the length of her arm, but she made no move to stop it.

Her feet somehow made it to the kitchen before she could realize where she was going.

Sharp glass invaded her toes.

Loud memories clogged her vision.

She stumbled to her knees…and cried.

What am I ganna do? What am I- 

Sakura's thoughts were interrupted by 4 familiar immense sources of chakara heading towards her.

She raised her head sharply, creating the wound in the back of her head to grow and spurt blood down her neck and back.

_Oh no! _She thought.

They can't be here, not now! 

Her pulse speed up.

And her mind became foggy again.

Her bright green eyes dimmed momentarily as she searched for a way out.

Her large heavy weight cherry wood door thumped and chimed with the contact of someone's fists banging loudly on the other side.

"Sakura, are you here?" she could only guess Naruto yelled.

With trembling fingers she soundlessly backed up into an open covered wall. And slid down until she was sitting on the floor.

_Oh my god._

-

-

-

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Well there it was.

And no features for anyone today, because I'm saving one idea for my next chapter.

I will put his or her name in my story and a preview for one of his or her stories that I like the best.

Reviews are gladly welcomed and more ideas would be great!


	2. Wormed

**Author's note: **Thank you! For the lovely reviews and yes I am using someone's idea but I don't know yet if it will be featured in this chapter. Anyway, thanks again, and for warning: this chapter is a wee bit said. So brace yourselves if you get upset easily.

No flames. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**Chapter Two: **Wormed

-

-

-

"Ugh," the sound of frustration escaped his tender pinkish lips until his throat locked up with designated wiriness.

The house itself reeked of blood. Worn shingles hung lifelessly around the house. Heavily placed indents littered the windows from the inside, and 4 by 4's bordered up the doors from all angles of the small complex standing before them.

"She can't really live here!" Naruto croaked.

Sasuke's dark eyelashes loomed downward as he concentrated on the only source of chakara left inside the retched house.

"Oh yeah, she lives there," he confirmed darkly.

Naruto's flickering eyes darted circumferly around every square inch of the eerie home until they came across an opening shaded by shadows of the overgrown cherry blossom trees the surrounded it.

"She's moving to the kitchen," Sasuke notified.

His prowl officers whispered incurrent things to each other behind the metal gates of the yard.

Occasionally they lifted their heads to see what was happening, or shoot Sasuke a "threatening" look before returning to there conversations.

_Useless. _

Naruto sidestepped towards Sasuke.

Glancing at each other, both made there way to the boarded up front doors of the house,

And knocked.

-

-

-

Absolutely frozen.

They knew she was there, and they knew that she knew that they were there.

Dried up bloody tears were seemed onto her face, and her t-shirt was ripped in awkward places from the night before.

She didn't know weather to scream for joy, scream for fear, or scream out of frustration of not knowing which one to scream for.

_I look like an abused child. I _can't_ look like an abused child,_ she thought.

She rushed into her bedroom and as quickly as she could.

Shut the door,

And breathed.

Mind spinning frantically, she dropped to the floor in a heap of fresh tears and a sprained ankle.

_What am I going to do? What am I going to do?_ She kept repeating in her mind.

A sudden loud bang outside of the house caught her attention.

Pink hair dangled down to her bellybutton while she leaned forward on her knees and focused her chakara into her ear.

"This is your plan?" she assumed Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, see we go through this trapdoor I saw when we came in and hopefully this will lead us to Sakura," Naruto explained.

"…Why don't we just break in through the front door?"

"Uh, because Sakura would punch me in the face, and the internal tissue hasn't even completely healed yet from last time."

She heard a small chuckle from Sasuke, remising apparently.

"Through the trap door it is then."

A dazed expression crossed her face momentarily.

_Wait a second._

The sound of snapping boards invaded her hearing.

A large section of her room lifted up in a heap of dust and dried blood.

A spiky haired head popped out of the burdened rubble, and smirked at her.

"Hey there Sakura."

-

-

-

The streetlights flickered on and off.

Light snapping and popping arose off in the distance somewhere.

The gray clouds quickly covered the seemly burnt out sun.

Neji had never had a bigger chill go up his spine in his life.

-

-

-

Yotshi stumbled across the dark chapel painted road.

His feet at a steady wobble, but his mind somewhere else.

His house came shortly into view.

Eyelids about ready to close he blindly took his last few steps before everything went a dull shade of black.

_Sakura_, were his last thoughts before his head collided with the bumpy uneven road.

-

-

-

Naruto's shoulders twitched and knotted from the weight of Sasuke's body above him.

"Hey there Sakura," he heard him say.

She didn't say anything back to him; just her shallow breathing was heard throughout the room.

Sasuke finally decided to pull himself out of the small square tunnel they were in and slid into Sakura's bedroom.

Naruto popped his head into the open, blinding them with his bright cheery smile.

"Hi Sakura-Chan!"

She merely whimpered in her corner, it almost seemed as if she was trying to hide from them even though they were right there with her.

The gashes and bruises that covered Sakura's body finally caught the attention of Sasuke's eye.

"Where did you get those bruises?" he asked.

Her right eye darted for a second, while her left was completely hidden by her bangs.

"Sakura." Sasuke composed more firmly this time.

Silence.

Utterly complete silence.

_What the hell are they doing here? They should not even be here!_

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged glances before Sasuke sighed wearily and stood up.

He crossed the room where sakura was sitting and kneeled down in front of here.

They were close in proximity, his dark bangs kept on tickling Sakura's nose and eyelashes.

In any other situation she would have giggled.

"Sakura, you can trust me," he said.

Her lower lip quivered.

They sat there, staring at each other. Never blinking, never wandering.

He finally reached out his hand and touched her long hair with his dried cracked fingertips.

_Like silk_, he thought.

She never took her eyes off him.

His hand finally reached up to her neck.

She knew what he was doing.

He nodded at her.

She nodded back.

He pressed his fingers to her pressure points and her eyes finally drifted from his.

"Thank you," she whispered before she fell into his already open arms.

Sasuke almost gasped.

-

-

-

Neji had already heard about the news.

He rushed to the hospital as fast as he could.

The automatic doors opened for him.

"Sakura Hanuro?" he asked the front desk impatiently.

The purple haired woman snapped her gum one last time before looking up.

Her red-rimmed glasses almost slid off her face when she saw who was standing in front of her.

"Uh…uh sh-she's in room uh 101," she stuttered nervously.

He read her nametag.

"Thank you Maruow-San"

She blushed and nodded furiously.

The elevator was always too slow, so he took the stairs instead.

He reached the first floor in a matter of seconds.

_101_, the first door on his right read.

5 other sources of chakara emitted from inside the room, every single one of them familiar and sensible.

He opened the door.

-

-

-

Kakashi glanced up as Neji stepped into the already cluttered room.

Sasuke and Naruto didn't even bother to look up from Sakura's white face lying in the bed next to them.

Len and Juroi, Sasuke's prowl officers, bowed respectfully towards Neji.

He nodded back.

Neji locked eyes with Kakashi.

_He's trying not to look at her_, Kakashi noticed.

"How bad is she?" Neji asked.

Naruto sighed loudly from across the room.

"Bad," he finally said.

His head finally managed to twist 25 degrees to his left to see what everyone gathered in this claustrophobic hospital room was here to see.

He almost gagged.

Her hospital gown sagged downward on her shoulders, making her look like a small sympathetic child.

Her hair was flat and lifeless, just like her bronze skin.

Deep cuts surrounded her body from head to toe.

Her fingernails were torn and bloody, probably from fighting back.

And her lips were cut and slightly swollen.

"Who did this?" Neji asked quietly, fearing the answer.

"We don't know yet," Sasuke answered quietly.

He shuddered.

Sasuke couldn't be there any longer.

Couldn't stand the sight of seeing her mangled and helpless any more.

The door shut quietly behind him.

-

-

-

**Author's note: **I know it's short but I need more ideas!

Review please!

I promise the next chapter will be longer.


	3. Lost thoughts

**Author's note:** Hey there Sorry that took so long, very busy lately. But here and it is and I hope you enjoy it.

No flames.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter Three:**Lost thoughts

**-**

**-**

**-**

Yotshi awoke slowly as the bright yellow sun climbed to its highest peak.

The tops of the cherry blossom trees glistened with dew and rain from the night before.

Green eyes blinked heavily apart as a drunken weariness came over his acing drowsy body.

_My head, _he thought groggily.

He scanned his surroundings quickly and his muscles seemed to relax at the familiarity of his home.

_How the hell did I get here?_

Questions without answers swam through his thoughts all at once making Yotshi clutch his head in throbbing pain.

He moved to a sitting position and let his mess of red hair fall into his bloody hands.

"Bloody hands…?" he mumbled.

And suddenly one clear conscious vision seeped into his mind; like hot liquor running down an open empty throat.

_Sakura._

-

-

-

Her hand was way to small.

But was big enough to fit into his closed fist without slipping out.

Sasuke sighed and rubbed his callused thumbs all along her smooth fingers.

"Wake up," he whispered.

She had been asleep for 18 hours.

The first 4 he had spent pacing with Naruto outside of the hospital door.

The next 6 he had spent questioning and persuading the doctors for answers on Sakura's condition, but with no avail.

And the last 8 he had spent holding her chilly hand next to his warm exterior to keep her warm.

_I should have noticed that her chakara level was so lower then usual because she was to busy hiding the truth._

_I should have noticed that her body was already beaten inside out when I was sparing with her all these weeks._

_I should have noticed...her._

"Wake up."

The monitor next to her bedside table beeped in a rhythmic pattern keeping Sasuke informed that she would be ok as long as he kept that thing going as long as possible.

She shivered.

He held her hand tighter.

"Wake up."

The door creaked and crackled open.

A brown haired boy walked in heatedly holding a large banquet of flowers and a 10-pound bag of gummy bears with a gold decorated card on both items.

He locked eyes with Sasuke for a quick second before smirking and placing his gifts at the front of the pile with 200 other presents waiting for Sakura.

_Pansy,_ he thought while the brown haired boy shut the heavy door soundly behind him as he left.

He quickly snatched up the bag of gummy bears and hastily ripped it open, swallowing mouthfuls of stretchy fruity candy all at a time.

He swallowed quickly without chewing, and dropped the heavy bag on the floor.

_I haven't eaten anything in 20 hours,_ he realized.

And then he looked down at the beaten and crumpled little girl before him.

With proportions of her face black, swollen, and rustled. With 80 of her body covered with tightly knitted bandages. And with her attacker still out there, he couldn't even dream of being somewhere else right now.

"Wake up."

-

-

-

Wine glasses clinked and white gold silverware scraped the bottom of the china plates quietly over a long wooden dinner table.

"Would you like any more radish dumplings?" the French coated questioned asked Neji.

He shook his head.

_Fucking disgusting, _Neji thought.

He pushed away his plate and silently excused him self from the table.

Wide steps erode from the dinning room to his bedroom in a matter of seconds.

He paced.

_I should probably…go see her_, he thought.

"Neji?" a quiet voice seeked behind him.

He turned around.

"Hinata, what do you want?" he asked.

"I think you should go see her," she whispered.

His breathing uttered a little bite.

He tugged at his tongue with his new freshly whitened teeth.

_Was it that obvious?_

"And take this," she handed him a long steamed cherry blossom with a box of dark chocolate in seemed with the core of the steam.

He sighed.

"Thanks," he mumbled, and briskly walked out the front door.

-

-

-

She groaned, quickly after she felt something move beside her.

Breathing hard.

"Sakura?" she heard.

Her right hand was tightly squeezed.

She blinked, nothing came to her.

"what-," she tried but her voice was raspy and prickly.

But the person holding her hand put a finger to her lips to quiet her.

"Don't talk," he whispered.

_Sasuke,_ she thought.

She immediately relaxed in his grip and turned her head to the side to see his porcelain face.

He looked exhausted, he had small circles under his eyes and his eyelashes dropped a little lower than usual.

His clothes were wrinkled and worn, and he smelt like cheap hospital food.

His hair was a little matted and messy.

Dry cracked marks were barley etched into his lips but were visible enough to make Sakura untangle her hand from his and run her small smooth fingers across them.

He opened his eyes fully.

"Sakura-," she put her finger over his lips.

"Go home," she hoarsely whispered.

He looked stunned and confused, and she didn't know why.

"Go home," she repeated.

He smirked, and lifted his free hand to stroke her full pink head of hair.

The door handle jiggled but neither of them seemed to notice.

"I'm not going any where," he whispered and kissed her forehead as softly as he possibly could, avoiding her bruises.

_What am I doing_, Sasuke thought.

The door opened.

-

-

-

Neji's stomach flip-flopped as soon as he saw Sasuke's lips touch her tan forehead.

He clenched his fist when he saw her smile in response.

He cleared his throat.

Sasuke and Sakura turned their heads in surprise.

"Neji," Sakura whispered hoarsely. "It's nice to see you."

This made him smirk in Sasuke's direction.

He noticed the large amount of gifts and flowers in the tight corner of the room, so he placed his small present next to her bedside table where it could be seen amongst the repetitive collection of anonymous gifts.

"Thank you," she mouthed and smiled brightly.

He nodded.

Neji could feel his glare burning into the back of his back.

And a thought came to him.

_Why not compete for one more thing he knew they both secretly wanted._

Neji's hand dropped down to caress her bruised cheek.

"Who did this to you?"

Sakura looked slightly shocked and uncomfortable as soon as the question on everybody's minds finally came to surface with one simple sentence taught out of Neji's lips.

"I…I," she stammered

Sasuke sharply stood up and took a hold of Sakura's hand once again.

"You don't have to tell us anything yet if you don't want to Sakura."

A silent tear dribbled down her face as she nodded a relived look at Sasuke.

Sasuke turned around to tell Neji to leave but the he was already gone.

-

-

-

Naruto grumbled and mumbled incoherent streams of words, shifting from side to side in an unsettling sleep.

Finally opening his bright blue eyes, he innocently rolled off of his bed.

"Ahhh," he muttered from the cold solid ground of his room.

He stayed there for a good 5 minutes until sleep forbid to overcome him again that bright all to sunny morning.

Naruto sighed.

His X-rated calendar hung above his head, swaying silently from side to side.

_Visit Sakura at hospital,_ it read.

Grunting he made his way to his bathroom, he had a big day ahead of him.

-

-

-

Yotshi watched afar at the last living remains of his daughter.

_By the looks of it she doesn't remember a thing,_ he thought.

He smiled.

_And I'll just have to keep it that way._

-

-

-

**Author's note**: There it was a little short but you can handle it. I know it's a little confusing right now but it will all come clear in the next few chapters. I know Sasuke is acting nice but even he doesn't understand it so you have to go with it because that's all part of my storyline.

Review review review so I can write faster.

BYE!


	4. She's got the idea

**Author's note: **It's here! No flames and please enjoy! Thank you everyone who reviewed my last chapter, it encouraged me a lot.

**Chapter Four: She's got the idea.**

* * *

_She walked through the front door. Everything was bare except for the usual scattered bottles and cigarette butts that lie on the moldy distilled floor._

"_Daddy?" she called out loudly._

_No one was home._

…_She thought._

_Her bedroom door filtered a jar. She stepped inside._

_The room was dark and cold; she shivered under the muggy blanket of air that hung around her toned body._

_The front door creaked open._

"_Daddy?" she breathed._

_Why did she have this sudden sliver of fright when she called out his name?_

_Why was she afraid?_

…_She didn't remember._

"_Sakura," she heard someone whisper._

"_Daddy…is that you?"_

_Why was she so afraid?_

_Why was she shaking?_

_She couldn't understand._

"_Sakuraa."_

"_Wake up!"_

The sun was too bright to open her eyes fully, but the cold sweat dangling from her body woke her up to an extent that even Naruto could not.

"Hey Naruto," she whispered hoarsely.

"What happened to your voice?" he asked.

Sakura shrugged " I don't remember."

His wave like blue eyes filled up with sympathy and anger.

"Don't worry Sakura I'll find out whoever did this to you, you can count on it!"

She smiled widely.

_I sure hope so Naruto._

* * *

"I've brought all of you here today to discuss the critical and very upsetting attack on Sakura Haruno two days ago before she was brought into the intensive care of my hospital. The doctors still have not discovered the exact condition and causes of Sakura's well being but I already know that Sakura was harmed by a person no doubt and I have been informed that the attack was placed about 4 days ago and Sakura had been covering the bruises from her attacker for some reason we do not know of yet. Sakura has no memory of any of any of this so it is up to all of us to find out who did this, the attacker is still in Konoha somewhere, there is no record of anyone leaving the village two nights ago so I want everyone in this room to search and question the whole village and find out who did this to Sakura," Tsunade strictly ordered to her team of specially picked out leaf ninja that stood in a straight line in front of her large cherry oak desk.

"This mission is at your top priorities right now, no other missions will be handed out until this one is complete," She added.

Everyone in the room was silent.

"When do we start?" Sasuke spoke up.

"Now."

* * *

_What if she regains her memory?_ He thought.

_Will she remember everything or just what happened the night she was found by her stupid teammates?_

_Either way, I have to keep pretending and hopefully…_

_No one will find out a thing._

* * *

She awoke with her hand in his.

She smiled.

"Sasuke," she whispered softly.

She already knew he was a light sleeper.

He had changed so drastically after killing his brother.

"Hm," he grumbled.

She shook him a little, "Go home."

He smirked into his folded arms that lay next to Sakura's waist on her papery scratchy hospital bed.

"I already told you I wouldn't," he muttered into his arms.

She looked at the clock.

7 in the morning.

_He's such a good friend,_ she thought to herself.

He lifted his head up a little ways, and locked his dark emotionless eyes with her tired gleaming green eyes.

"Go back to sleep Sakura," he whispered in her ear, making her spine shiver with cold anxiety.

She rolled her eyes and laid back down on her soft white blanket, her long dark eyelashes caved over her brillant gree orbed eyeballs as she drifted into another sleepless nightmare.

* * *

_She was in her bedroom corner once more, seemly invisible to everything around her._

Am I safe tonight?_ She asked herself._

_"Safe from who?" she screamed in her mind_

_Who am I running away from?_

_Who hurt me?_

_Who!_

_"Sakura," she heard someone whisper ecstatically._

_She needed to know._

_"Who's there?" she replied confidently._

_"Sakura," the voice repeated._

_She swung her door open._

_No one was there._

_Am I hearing things?_

_She looked one more time down the narrow strip of hallway._

_No one was there._

_Puzzled she closed her door and shook her head trying to clear her unrealistic thoughts._

_"Sakura," the voice was closer now, way closer._

_She was about to slam her door open again when she caught sight of the reason she was not sleeping at night._

_His eyes gleamed a gold like yellow and his wire rimmed glasses shimmered in the moonlight spectacularly._

_His smile…his smile is what scared her the most out of anything._

_It was menacing and dangerous, he smirked at her like he knew everything in the world that she didn't._

_She took a step back._

_She knew him, she could tel,l but his face wasn't visible in the inky darkness of her small messy room._

_"Sakura," he hissed as he took a step towards her._

_I don't think I've ever been so terrified in my entire life she panicked._

_He took another step._

_And everything went black._

* * *

"Her memory loss was caused by an excursive amount of stress and blood trauma to the brain. Her bruises have a consistent pattern of glass fragments; beer and soda cans, rocks, doorknobs, scissors, and an outline of a male fist, someone who is wearing a wedding ring possibly could be your attacker. Um, she has two broken ribs, a sprained elbow, and broken nose, a broken jaw, a broken ankle and toe, a sprained wrist probably from trying to fight back, and a sprained collar bone."

"Any sign of sexual assault?" Tsunade had to ask.

The doctor fidgeted under the bright florescent lights of the nearly empty hallway. She flipped through her clipboard until she found what she was looking for on the fifth page of Sakura's conditions.

"…Yes, I'm sorry to say…she was rapped but it was to late to test for seamen of any kind so there is no evidence that hasn't already been removed in the process of our tests," she replied.

Tsunade sighed.

"Anything else you can tell me about Sakura's condition would be greatly appreciated."

The doctor paused.

"Well…uh ye-yes there is another thing that I found strangely out of place so I'm having the lab retest the samples I gave them early-."

"Just tell me what it is," Tsunade cut in.

"This isn't 100 accurate yet but the internal bruising found on Sakura dates back to at least 10 years ago, the rusted tissue found on the inside of Sakura's fingers and calves told us that-," but the startled looking doctor didn't have time to finish her sentence as Tsunade quickly vanished from the scene in a mere blink of an eye.

-

-

-

"I'll get away, get in the car  
I'll reach the shore before sunrise  
And I'll watch the moon and the stars  
I'll tell them everything about us,"

She silently sang to herself as soon as Sasuke left the room to buy them some ramen for them both on the other side of town.

_He's in my mind I just need to find him somehow_

"I left last night and  
I reached the shore  
Trying to find everything I lost  
In a thousand waves  
A million waves  
Still, somewhere I am sure

That I will see your face  
I will see you there."

She stopped signing.

I can almost see his face.

She tried concentrating everything she had on his face.

Everything.

Her mind wired heavily in the black dusk that she had escaped to. Pink haired danced around her expresive face as she ran straight ahead.

A strong humming sound caved into her eardrum, forcing her to stop running and to kneel down painfully while holding her hands over her ears.

She saw two large feet infront of her, blood soaked and worn from age.

_I know these feet._

She almost let out a fragile sob when the image from her mind suddenly vanished into a blank washed out memory.

"Damnit!" she cried slapping both her knees for extra effect.

She took a shaky deep breath and continued to try to finish the song she had written when Sasuke was still sleeping that morning.

"Morning sun  
Before you will rise  
Before you'll come and shine again on us  
Let me find, let me find, let me find Some comfort in the night.

Cause I dont mind what I've lost  
I've reached the shore  
And nothing ever changed  
In a thousand waves  
A million waves  
Oh still I look for love

And all I see is your face  
So I come back home to you

I bleed but I'm choosing you again  
I'm done but I'm ready to begin."

Her voice hurt even more than it did before, and it was on the verge of disappearing just like everything else around her but she didn't care.

"I need to go home," she relized.

* * *

**Author's note:**There it was! Very very short but I needed to leave it hanging of course! And I finally updated super fast this time! I hope you enjoyed this at least it was kind of sad to write and I tried to put my heart into it on some parts so there you have it, and no need to worry the next chapter is coming soon!

Peace.

**Song:** The waves by Elisa


	5. Keep your hands and feet in the ride

**Author's note:**Finally here, the thanks are at the bottom so look there when you're done reading.

Enjoy, no flames please.

**Chapter five**: Keep your hands and feet in the ride at all times

* * *

"What are we ganna do with her?"

Tsunade pursed her lips in aggravation, while doubt started to blot out the ageless features on her face.

"We will tell her…we tell her everything we know about what happened to her and hopefully this brings back some sort of… memory that can help us," She concluded.

The pale dark haired nurse beside her glanced rather worriedly in Tsunade's direction. Everyone knew how much this situation unsettled her.

"Are you sure…?" the pale nurse dared to graze over the looming tension of doubt in the room.

"_Yes_," she snapped.

The nurse sighed.

"Very well, do you have anyone in mind to be the bearer of the news?"

"I have an idea."

* * *

"Unagumi, go check on the patient in room 111."

The said nurse bowed her head hastily and made her way towards the end of the dim lighted hallway.

This was her third day here; everything they made her do seemed so exciting and thrilling. Every patient she tended to made her feel more dignified and important, like she was changing something, something real.

Her heart was nearly thudding out of her chest in excitement as she thought of running into Sasuke Uchiha oh her way to "make the world a better place" taunt.

The dust on the floor shot up in light fluffy scattered clouds around her feet, tickling her ankles with soft integrity.

_We have to get somebody to clean the mess up._

The door to room 111 stood very still in front of her, but still gave her an unsettling feeling in the stored pit of her stomach.

But she turned the doorknob.

A thin brittle man sat up calmly on his narrow bed, looking out of the large glass window to his left.

As soon as she walked in he turned his attention directly on her and smiled politely.

"Hello," she chided out squeakily

_Don't make him think you're nervous!_ She scolded herself.

"Hello," the man responded. "Nice day out to day isn't it?"

She pulled the everyday flowered out of the vase beside his bed and threw them into the trashcan by her feet.

"Very nice!"

She replaced the vase with pink cherry blossoms.

Out of the slim corner of her eye, she saw him narrow his eyes in an almost bitter look of…distaste at the beautiful arrangement of flowers.

"I can replace them with a different kind of flower if you prefer," she quickly informed him.

He seemed to be in his own world for a moment as he just continued to stare at the flowers next to him.

The connection broke suddenly and he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" he asked kindly.

She smiled at him sympathetically.

"Would you like me to replace the flowers?"

He shook his head briskly.

"No no, these are just fine, don't worry."

She hesitated but eventually turned her back to him and read the information listed on the clipboard that was set inside a black clear folder handing from the wall on the other side of the window.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Yotshi Haruno? Father of Sakura Haruno, who happens to be one of the greatest medics in Japan and teammates with _Uchiha Sasuke!_" she exclaimed.

He grinned at her.

"That's me."

* * *

"What did you call us here for granny?"

The blond woman in the center of the room glared angrily into Naruto's authentic blue tinged eyes, while a heavy irritated yawn escaped his mouth as he tried his best to look as serious as possible.

It was midnight.

She growled in response to his feeble words and straightened out her back while masking the wave of dread that was on the very verge of clouding all of her features and forcing her to break down right there and then.

"It's about…Sakura," she managed without emotion.

Everything in the room became silent.

A single shaky inhale be folded into Naruto's partly open mouth.

"W-what about Sakura…is she ok? Is she alive, oh my god please tell me she's not-,"

"Enough!" She cut him off harshly.

She herself had a hard time breathing regularly with all the thick cloudy air of unsaid questions and comments lingering by the men that stood in front of her.

"Sakura's condition…we have decided to tell her about it and we…I need your help to do so, she needs to feel at ease when I tell her what-what happened to her."

"…What happened to her exactly?" Sasuke asked, curiosity finally getting the better of him.

She took in another gulp of the hot sticky air.

"Sakura was raped and beaten, her body at near default. But the studies show that this has been going on for more than ten years at the least. She has been keeping this a secret from us for a reason and we need to know why, we need to know who did this to her, we…I need your help."

Both boys stood clearly disturbed by the news.

Naruto's eyes went wide with shock, as his mouth had trouble forming the right words. And for the first time in his life, he was absolutely speechless.

Sasuke on the other hand, held his head up high wearing his usual scowl, but his eyes showed severe anger and rage burning in the depths of his pupils.

"We'll help Tsunade," he muttered darkly.

* * *

_That ditzy nurse came in today and told me how they planned on telling Sakura everything that happened to her tomorrow night, and how this wasn't the first time she has been beaten down to near death. She said that this will help her remember who did this to her, so they can send the guy away to the sand village and let Garra have his way with him._

_She's going to remember everything._

_She's going to remember me._

_I have to act now._

_I'll make it look like an accident, and then I can finally avenge my wife's death._

_Sakura Hanuro will die in my hands tomorrow night._

_And no one will know a thing._

* * *

Sasuke leaned his burning forehead against the icy cold interior of the rising elevator.

_This is insane,_ he told himself.

How could something like this happen, I thought I was keeping her protected, I thought everything was fine.

A deep enhanced growl emitted from the sinking pit in his stomach.

He punched the side of the elevator he was leaning on, leaving a large dent molded clemently of his fist.

She's one of the only ones I have left that I can stand in the world. She stood by me in everything, as I pretended not to care. And now the only thing I had to do was protect her and I screwed up, I screwed up so bad.

His body trembled with rage, as his eyes became a deep bloody crimson.

"I have to find out who did this," he mumbled to himself.

The long silver titanium elevator doors finally opened.

He stepped out in a hurried manner, and was in Sakura's room in a matter of seconds.

"Sakura," he called while slamming the doors open.

Slim hands carefully laid down the magazine she was currently reading and folded themselves in her lap.

"Sasuke," she acknowledged.

He wasted no time.

He loomed over her fragile body, looking deeply into her eyes. Searching for something, she could defiantly tell.

He took her face in his hands and brought her close enough she feel every movement his lips made without exactly touching them.

"Who did this to you, you need to think really hard Sakura because this is important. We can't wait any longer for it to come to you, you need to find it Sakura!"

"Sasuke, I need to go home to find it. But no one will listen to me here, I almost had it but than it was replaced with this strong erg to look were I'm not looking, and that's home Sasuke."

He sighed, lowering his face so the tips of his hair tickled her subtle nose.

"We don't have time to bring you home Sakura, you need to try. Keep trying Sakura," his face was mere millimeters away from hers.

She closed her eyes.

His breathing was synced with hers completely; anticipation arose in his swelling throat.

Minutes ticked by slowly, only making Sasuke hold on to her tighter.

Sakura clenched her eyes shut harder.

He inhaled.

She shook her head.

He exhaled.

"I was at home, in my room. I called out to my dad…I-I think he was in trouble. Than this scary man shows up with glasses on but I cant see his face, because it's always in shadows. But I know I'm afraid of him, and the room just gets colder until I can see my own breath. He comes at me but…then it stops there," She buried her head in her hands. "I'm sorry Sasuke, I've been trying I really have but-."

He crawled up into the bed, and sat next to her.

He put his arm over her shoulder, as she laid her head down on his broad ones.

"It's alright," he soothed. "It's a start."

* * *

The rising sun streamed into her open windows, arising the obsidian haired boy beside her.

He smirked into her pink hair that clouded over his face.

"Wake up," he grumbled.

She didn't move.

Incoherent words slipped through his parted lips as he grudgingly got out of the stiff bed, and circled his way around to Sakura's side.

"Sakura," he poked her forehead slightly.

Her eyes gradually started to open.

"Why are you here so early?" she mumbled.

He stroked her silky pink hair.

"We fell asleep last night."

She nodded and slowly sat up.

Her long pink hair draped over her body and hung lazily by her waist.

Her natural looking complexion was beginning to show again, almost all of her bruises were gone.

Green eyes started to flicker with the oncoming sun now poring through the windows. And her plump playful lips twitched downward in annoyance as to why she was up so early.

He handed her a bottle of vitamins she assumed he found laying on the dresser next to him when he woke up.

Everyone knew she was stubborn when it came to pills.

"Take two, swallow slowly," he informed while handing her a large glass of water.

This, she had no idea where he got from.

But she did as she was told, handing him back the half empty glass of water when she reluctantly finished.

"I'll be back in ten minutes with breakfast, don't break anything," he warned as he turned his back to her and walked gracefully toward the door.

"Wait-Sasuke," she called out to him in a rush.

He stopped.

"Hn?" he turned around.

"Come here for a second."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her still half asleep green ones. But nevertheless walked back to her bedside and sat down next to her again.

She looked at him.

"Whoever attacked me is most likely to still be alive you know," she started.

He nodded his head slowly.

_Where is she getting with this?_

"And just in case he…you know comes back and tries to finish what he started-."

"Don't talk like that Sakura," he warned while grabbing her hand tightly in his own.

She smiled at him.

It almost made him want to smile back.

She leaned in closer until there faces created one wide shadow on the bedspread, and whispered.

"Just in case."

She tilted her head upwards a little bit and kissed him.

His mind exploded and bent with confusion, excitement, temptation, warning, and warmth.

_Why does she do this to me?_

He grabbed the back of her neck, forcing the kiss in deeper.

Her hands rested on his chest and were slowly traveling downward…

His eyes opened wide, as his hormones flip-flopped inside his stomach.

She took this opportunity to slip her tongue inside his obstruct mouth.

He was loosing control.

He flipped her on her back and broke contact from their mouths and moved down to her neck.

She wrapped her legs around his waist.

His lips traveled down to her collarbone.

He sucked on the small amount of skin he was able to gather in between his teeth and left a large looming red mark in its wake.

She arched her back, asking for more.

But she quickly reconsidered and rolled him onto his back.

They lay there, breathless and exhilarated.

"Just in case…you know if I get killed soon or whatever I just wanted to make sure I did that. And yes I do still love you. But over the years it has grown into more of a love hate kind of deal now," she ranted.

_She still loves me?_

He started to speak, possibly to tell her about the exploding fireworks in his brain, he didn't know.

But she put a finger to his lips before he could get anything out.

"Whatever you have to say I don't want to hear it, it will just ruin my mood. So if you could ask Naruto to sneak you some ramen for us that would be really great."

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha was absolutely stunned.

_No one_ in history had ever made him think this much before, or…feel this way before.

He touched his lips.

"Whoa," he muttered.

His lips were strangely tingly and very swollen.

He pulled his hand away.

He made his way down to the cafeteria where Naruto was already eating.

_Dope._

He walked up behind him.

"Naruto I need two packs of ramen."

Without a word Naruto looked around to see if anyone was looking. And with awakening speed he produced two pouches of instant ramen in front if his face.

Sasuke grabbed them and walked away silently, but he held the packets at his fingertips.

He had no idea where the dope put these.

* * *

_It was near 7:30 when he crept out of his bed._

_Avoiding any thing that might creak when he stepped on it._

_His daughter was three floors above him._

_He would take the stairs._

_He could get caught on the elevator._

_In less than two floors up the winding staircase his legs aced._

_He was getting old._

_Etched lines ceased downward on his forehead, and perspiration was scattered along his hairline._

_And yet he grinned._

_He was almost there._

* * *

"Sakura?"

Soft light breaths were heard in response.

Lee set a very large vase full of cherry blossoms on the bedside table.

She was sleeping.

He smiled at her innocent unaware face, and reached down to stroke her hair.

"So youthful," he muttered.

He heard the door open.

Please don't be Sasuke; please don't be Sasuke, he chanted inside his head.

He turned around.

"Who the hell are you?" the intruder grunted at him.

"I'm Rock Lee, the green beast of Konoha. Who are you?"

The intruder gave no answer; instead he lunged at Lee and in half a second knocked him on the ground.

Before he could even realize what just happened, the man took a kunai out of Lee's back pocket and turned around to face Sakura.

Lee gasped.

He grabbed the intruder's ankles and brought him straight to the floor, ignoring his cries of protest.

"You're not going to hurt Sakura-Chan."

The man mumbled a reply, but Lee was to busy trying to keep him on the floor.

He cried out loudly when the gruff looking man under him, kneed him in his groin.

Sakura awoke with a start.

_What the hell…_

She leaned over to her left, looking down at the scene before her.

"What-,"

"GO SAKURA!" Lee cried out to her as he struggled with a big looking man with…horn-rimmed glasses.

"Oh my god," she mumbled as she attempted to swing her legs over the edge of the bed.

He looked at her.

Memories evaded her brain, clogging it until there was no possible way she could even think.

Breathing was becoming harder to do, and the man's still blood shot eyes did not leave her own. Making seeing clearly entirely out of the question.

Everything came at her so fast.

The lies.

The truth.

The hurt.

"Daddy," she whispered as tears escaped her irritated eyes.

"GO!" Lee bellowed at her.

"What about-."

"I'll be fine, just go, and get some help!"

She ran.

* * *

"Are we doing this or what?" Sasuke asked, very irritated at the fact that Kakashi had still decided to show up an hour late for something as important as this.

_Who's idea was it for him to come along anyway?_

"We have to make a stop at the second floor first, I have to check on a few patients on the way," Tsunade told them.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Naruto pushed open the double doors, reveling a white tiled hallway that led to spacious lobby.

"Lets do this," he whispered.

* * *

She ran as fast as she could without her chakara.

He body was completely drained of energy.

She was starving.

She was scared.

And she felt very naked running down the stairs in her mid thigh length hospital gown, which was open almost completely in the back, but thankfully covered everything essential.

She could hear his footsteps clogging after her.

She was on the second floor. And without much thought she pushed open the door the led her off the staircase and into a narrow hallway.

She kept on running.

She didn't yell out for help, for fear that the patients would come out of their rooms and get attacked by her father.

_Oh kami._

She could hear him again, this time he was much closer.

She had no choice.

"Help, oh my god, somebody help!" she screamed.

She hit something.

_I'm dead_, she thought.

She fell onto her back, shutting her eyes tightly.

_Get up!_ She screamed at herself.

She rolled onto her stomach and looked to see if he was as close as she hoped he wasn't.

He just rounded the corner.

The visible smile on his face caused from seeing her helpless on the ground just waiting to be killed sent shivers through her nervous system.

_Get up!_ Her mind screamed again.

She did.

* * *

The lobby lights flickered to a rhythmic buzzing sound far off somewhere. Everywhere you looked there was white, like a fresh mount of snow on Christmas morning.

_Annoying,_ Sasuke thought.

Suddenly a short brown haired nurse burst through the open doors they had just came in from and searched around frantically for what Sasuke assumed to be a supervisor.

Instead she spotted him.

Cherry painted cheeks certainly did warm up the all white glow of the lobby, but only to Sasuke's discomfort.

He rolled his eyes, and turned the other way.

_They're everywhere._

"Tsunade-Sama," he heard the nurse call from behind him.

_Is she closer than she was a second ago?_

"There's a patient missing from room 111!"

Tsunade looked more than slightly famished.

"What?" she hissed.

A loud bang was heard across the lobby from the large white door that led to the stairs.

A pink head wisped frantically around the room, moving as far away from the stairs as possible.

_Sakura!_

She seemed to have spotted Naruto first but before she could take a step towards him, both Naruto and Sasuke were over there before Kakashi could even put his book away.

Naruto hugged her tightly.

"Sakura! What's wrong? Why aren't you in your room? Are you ok? Do you need more ramen?" he bombarded her with questions.

"Dope," Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Sakura was out of breath and crying silently. He didn't even think she was aware of the salty tears leaking over her flushed cheeks.

He took her out of Naruto's grasp.

"What's wrong Sakura?"

"He-he's chasing me," she panted.

This got Sasuke and Naruto's full attention.

"Who?" Sasuke demanded.

Before she could answer, the door Sakura just moments before entered from swung open with alarming agility.

A heavy set looking man, with greasy fiery orange hair that matted itself to his forehead, and gold-chained horn-rimmed glasses ran out of the stair well. Immediately spotting Sakura.

_Glasses…_

He made a grab for her hospital gown but Naruto punched fiercely at the man's wrist, making it snap backwards almost all the way.

He looked down at his hand, then at Naruto.

He bared his teeth variously at the blond.

"You stupid little mutt, look what you did to my hand!" he screamed in Naruto's face, spit drooling over the edge of his mouth.

Kakashi was behind the man in a second, and knocked him out cold.

Barely missing Naruto as he fell flat on his face.

Sasuke was holding a shaking Sakura who somehow sank down to the floor with Sasuke right beside her.

"Is he the man that hurt you Sakura?" Sasuke asked as calmly as he could muster at the moment.

She nodded her head, still silently crying and clutching Sasuke's shirt in her small hands.

"H-he hurt me…a lot, all this time. He hu-hurt me for-_so_ long, I wanted to tell bu-but I-I couldn't," she barley managed.

Everyone in the hospital lobby was looking at them, sadness and sympathy was evident all over their faces.

"Who is he?" Kakashi asked.

She looked at the fallen man one more time before answering.

"My-my dad."

Sympathy and sadness slipped quickly from the bystander's faces, only to be replaced with shock and horror.

"Who would do something like that to their child?"

"What kind of monster is this man?"

"That child is so strong."

Long slurs of comments could be heard from everyone around them.

"Did he rape you Sakura?" Sasuke asked so only she Naruto and Kakashi could hear.

She began to shake again.

"He hurt m-me a lot, and he-he threw a-a lot of stuff…but-but he didn't rape me."

* * *

**Author's note: **dun dun dun dun, well there it was. I like this chapter, this was way fun to write.

And now for the thanks:

**Demethrawildflower:** Thank you for giving me the idea to make Sakura's father attack her again, and to have Sasuke save her.

Ps; I'm a Gemini :)

**Demethrawildflower's fan fics: **

-A new beginning

-Perfect girl

-All eyes on me.

**Miskyluvs: **Thank you for the idea of putting Lee and Kakashi in this story, I was thinking of just leaving him out but I liked your idea better.

**Miskyluvs fan fics:**

-Before Betrayal

Peace.


	6. Awakening

**Author's note**: were getting close to the end people, enjoy it now. And maybe I'll even write a sequel.

No flames. Enjoy.

**Awakening**

Three days later.

Lively pink hair was sprawled across his abrasive chest. Rising up and down with his own steady breaths.

His fingers intertwined with her satin hair, softly scratching her scalp as he stroked her calming figure.

His eyes danced over her stoic face.

Heavy dark eyelashes skittered alone the crease of her eyelids, daring only to move when the annoying urge to blink occurred.

Her mouth twisted in a tight line of concentration, something she probably picked up from him.

Her eyes beamed across the room. Staring. Seemingly begging for _something_ to advise her on what to do with your clouded memories.

Her eyes started to glaze over.

She blinked.

It was too quiet.

Even for Sasuke.

"Did you mean it?" he asked, his voice one notch above a whisper.

She blinked again.

"What?"

He didn't say anything.

_Sasuke Uchiha does _not_ repeat himself._

The events of the last several days came pounding in her head all at once.

She searched and shuffled around in her over filled brain, picking through each one carefully.

She found it.

"Yes." She answered.

The memory of Monday swirled in her thoughts, grinning in the slightest as the tingle on her lips still surfaced when she thought about it.

_I still love you_, she had told him.

But even though everything inside of her was telling at her that he was a mistake that would break her again. She didn't feel the small prick of regret in her stomach when she usually did something that would eventually cause her emotional or physical pain.

His hands sprinkled over the corner or her mouth; by accident or fault, she didn't know.

"Good."

Her head and her heart hurt to much at the moment to even attempt to figure out if Sasuke cared about her enough to make something out of it. Just having him here now was all she needed.

She bit the tip of his dangling finger.

He smirked at her, wrangling his finger out of her grasp and poking her lightly in the nose before he retreated his hand to a safer place.

"You're going to live with me," he announced.

She nods her head slowly in his chest.

He continued to stroke her hair.

Sakura fell asleep.

* * *

Red hair was all she could see.

It smelt like sand.

"Garra?"

He pushed a few strands of hair out her eyes, making her vision a lot clearer.

"What are you doing here?" she asked groggily.

"Tsunade told me what happened to you."

She sat up, yawning behind her open palm.

"Did she tell you to come here…?"

He shook his head.

"I came here on my own. I…I wanted to help…you."

She gave him a dazzling grin, resisting the urge to pull him in a hug.

"I can release your memories for you," he continued.

The urge had won.

Garra stiffened abruptly at her touch, but gradually sunk into it and wove his arms around her bony back.

_She needs to eat. _

Tears welled up in her formative eyes, spilling over her cheeks and dripping downward to her chin.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you."

* * *

Sakura is released from the hospital four days later.

Sasuke is there to take her home.

_Home._

"I packed the few things you had and already brought them over to my mansion," he told her as he turned around so she could change into the regular clothes Sasuke had brought her.

She pulled a loose gray T-shirt over her head, and glanced in the mirror in front of her.

It matched her dark blue jeans perfectly.

"Hey Sasuke?" she called while still looking at her self in the full-length mirror.

"Hn?"

"Do…do you mind if I visit my old home, I just want to…get some closure before I leave it all behind," she lied.

He visibly hesitated.

Thick silence erupted into the room again.

"Meet me back at the house in one hour, or I'm coming to get you."

It was superbly obvious that negotiating would not be up for discussion.

She would have to make it quick then.

"Fine."

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

The door to her room _flew_ off its hinges and straight into an already peeved looking Sasuke.

_Not an entirely wise move._

"Naruto!" Sakura smiled as the boy picked her off the ground and twirled her around endlessly until they were both dizzy.

"_Dope_," Sasuke seethed from under the broken door, throwing it roughly aside so he could get up.

He grabbed Naruto by the neck, forcing him the let go of Sakura and threw him into the wall across the room.

Leaving a Naruto shaped indent on the white permuted walls.

"Now there definitely going to know which room is mine," Sakura mumbled.

She picked up her fallen hospital gown off of the lemon scented scrubbed floors.

"WHAT THE HELL TEME!" Naruto screeched from his now limp position on the gleaming floor.

"You had it coming," Sasuke replied.

Naruto scoffed, dusted himself off, and walked back over to Sakura's side of the room.

"Bastard," Naruto muttered.

"Brainless idiot," Sasuke retorted.

Sakura folded up the hospital gown in her hands and placed it on the edge of the thin-sheeted bed behind Naruto.

"I have to be somewhere, but you two have fun," she called as she already inched her way to the now door less exit.

"Where are you going?" Naruto _loudly_ questioned after her.

She glanced at Sasuke.

He narrowed his eyes at her, as if daring her to give Naruto yet another reason to yell at him for letting her go to that hellhole she had called home for too long.

"Nowhere important."

And she was gone.

* * *

Her house existed in an unfamiliar state of mind to her now.

It had no depth, or bad memories.

It merely stood there, barely holding itself up after all the rotting age, and the neglecting care for it from her and her father.

She felt sorry for it.

She had spent her whole childhood being afraid of that house, when all along it was what was in it that made her tremble even now.

She would always be afraid to come here, even when she knew her father was elsewhere.

Maybe it was because his existence still lingered in the house when he was at the bar, or maybe it was because everything he did to her happened in this house.

She didn't know.

But now that he was gone…for good. It held an empty demeanor.

The bubbling sick feeling she usually got when she looked at the house was not there.

Nor would it ever return.

That thought made her smile.

And she kept smiling as she entered the house, to face her next obstacle.

* * *

The overly applied makeup under dressed bubbly blond maid laid down the thick white quilt in the guest bedroom, just tucking in the last corner before she heard a cold snap behind her.

"Take that off, put the yellow quilt on instead. She's probably sick of anything white by now," he advised.

Her highlighted blond hair bobbed up and down as she vigoursley nodded and quickly made the white covers disappear, only to have bright yellow ones in its place.

"Hn." He walked away.

* * *

"You got my letter?" she asked into the darkness, praying for some sort of feedback.

"Yes," he barley whispered.

She paused, held her breath, and kept in the tears.

"I didn't know…" she tried to continue but she had forgotten how to speak for the moment.

"I thought-I-You seemed like you…even thought you kept on saying…his name…" he had apparently forgotten how to as well.

She had _never_ in all her life heard him stutter.

Never.

She gulped down most of her distracting nerves before attempting to speak again.

"Nothing is your fault you know." It worked!

"I didn't care that Sasuke was on your mind the whole time, I just…I just wanted to be with you…so bad. And I should have guessed that your weren't in the right state of mind but when I found you wondering around with dried up blood all over you I toke you back to your home and you told me you were fine, that you were just going to heal yourself later…I don't know how it happened but it did Sakura you started acting all weird towards the end but I couldn't let you go. I guess that's why the doctors declared it rape but…I made sure we used protection and everything…"

She walked up to him.

Their eyes locked.

She stroked his sad stricken face.

"I'm glad it was you," she whispered.

That seemed to have released both of them.

His lips succumbed hers in a second, while her end was coming back with just as much intensity.

They held to that intensity for a good five minutes until Sakura broke apart, leaning her forehead on his and breathing heavily.

"I have to go Neji."

He sighed, and kissed her forehead lightly.

"I know Sakura."

* * *

Sakura had gone back to the mansion.

The housemaids appointed her to the guest room where she would be staying.

The room was absolutely beautiful; the light yellow painted walls glowed brilliantly in the setting sun. Cascading velvet softness alone her furniture. The plasma television set sent a long looming shadow over her bright yellow bed sheets.

She pressed the small red button next to the wide television.

She nearly gasped as it retracted into itself so there was nothing left but a white panel where it had been standing.

The floors were a rich dark honey of hardwood underneath her bare feet.

And arrangement of several vases of cherry blossoms around the room fragranced everything quit nicely.

She inhaled.

_This was home._

She walked towards the bathroom door positioned on her far right.

The bathroom had a soft sailor blue theme over the whole atmosphere.

The walls were a comfortable shade of blue, while her shower curtain, furniture, and tile emitted a dazzling white wash.

A lilac strawberry air freshener roomed throughout the spacious room.

The room was at least ten times the size of her king sized bed.

She heard uproar of thunder outside.

Rain pelted her window's minutes later.

She went back out into the main room, digging through her small bag of clothes Sasuke had gotten from her house.

She let her hair out of its high ponytail and let it bounce lightly to the center of her back before changing into short blue shorts that she should have outgrown years ago, and a baggy white T-shirt that gratefully emphasized a good portion of her body and fell away from her flattering chest, exposing her complete right shoulder, and part of her black bra underneath.

Sakura folded up her clothes she had worn previously and tucked them away in her new oak wood dresser.

She exited the room as quietly as she could.

* * *

Sasuke's room was only three doors down from hers she had discovered.

His chakara was still highly evident that night.

She opened the door to his room.

He was lying on his side, facing away from the door with his eyes closed.

But she knew he wasn't asleep.

She smiled to herself and walked calmly around his large bed until she was facing him.

His eyes were still closed.

She toke three layers of covers into her hand and lifted them up enough for her to fit under them.

She adjusted until her back grazed the tips of his fingers.

But he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer until she was completely flat against him.

He was shirtless.

"Are you afraid of the storm?" he mumbled into her hair, eyes still closed.

She smiled sadly, and shook her head.

"I've had a lot scarier things happen Sasuke."

He smirked, moving his chin to her shoulder, breathing slowly into her earlobe.

"I'm falling for you Sakura."

She reached down for his hand that had entirely circled its self around her waist and brought it to her lips for a moment.

"I don't know if that's a good or bad thing Sasuke," she rubbed his hand with her nimble fingers.

"Neither do I."

* * *


	7. Rule breaker

_Warning: Explict content is contained in this chapter_

**Sleepless Nights Of An Unloved Child**

The feverishly runny yolk spilled over the tawny white canvas of her early brunch.

Sunlight ventured through the large picture windows surrounding her, causing streams of golden heat to cake the curve of her narrow back.

"Sakura."

She swallowed the molted gooey bit of egg before she swiveled slowly around in her high chair.

"Sasuke," she smiled.

She turned back around, twirling her crystal glass fork in between her middle and pointer finger.

Sasuke stared openly and mindlessly at the back of Sakura's frivoled pink head.

The vaguely familiar etch of a dropped heartbeat burned through his chest vividly.

And the searing twitch in his temples throbbed uncomfortably.

He put a cold hand against his forehead.

He had had this exact same reaction when he had first heard Sakura was raped and beaten to a life threatening point.

"_Your just afraid of loosing her," _Kakashi had told him when he saw Sasuke gripping his head in agony at the hospital.

"_Tch,"_ he had replied back.

But he wasn't loosing her this time.

…Was he?

"I put your breakfast in the fridge," a voice cut through his distant thoughts.

Sakura had not turned around to acknowledge that she was speaking to him, but he thankfully didn't need her to. He knew that voice anywhere.

His steady feet carried him to the refrigerator on his far left.

Inside was a small white china plate filled with plump red tomatoes with a tall glass of tomato juice right next to it.

He smirked and took his breakfast to the table.

He wasn't going to loose her.

* * *

It was a couple minutes past twelve before he decided to join her in his study.

The glass French doors opened swiftly as he stepped in, avoiding the large dusty book in the middle of the doorway.

She glanced up briefly.

"Hey Sasuke," she murmured into her book, still intensely focused on the small print laced into the striking white pages.

"Hn."

He sat down into the big maroon leather chair right across from Sakura.

Picking up the three other books that were strewn across it.

"Are you here because you want me to make you lunch?" she asked after a few minutes of complete silence.

Sasuke leaned forward into his chair, folding his hands under his chin to support the weight of his head.

"No," he stated simply.

She narrowed her eyes, but didn't bother looking up from her book to figure out what was going on.

She finished her page, folded the top corner, and shut the book with a heavy sigh.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

She out of all people knew how extremely difficult it was for an Uchiha to share his _feelings._

He closed his eyes.

And let his thoughts sink in.

"My stomach hurts…and…my head has a heartbeat."

Her first impulse was to reach over and lay her brittle hands onto his forehead to see if he had a temperature

But she knew better than that.

"Are you…sick?"

Uchiha's _never_ got sick.

He barley shook his head.

Sakura flicked the corner of her unusually long eyelashes.

"Are you tired?"

He glanced at her.

"No.'

She rubbed her temples calmly.

Then moved to her eyes.

In the past Sakura had always been there for Sasuke on his very rare hardly ever showcase of admitting to himself and her that he was possibly a human being with that pumping beating useless organ called a heart.

Even when he didn't say anything, or acted a little more colder than usual she could always tell that something was bothering him.

But this was something completely different then what she had dealt with before.

"Are you hurt…?"

"No," he said with a growl.

"I meant inside Sasuke."

Her comment made his shoulders drop out of their usual high stance.

And his head dropped deeper into his hands.

He shrugged.

Eighteen minutes ticked by before he said anything.

She knew he was struggling with telling her this, and she didn't want to say something that might make him put his wall of ice back up again.

"I…feel…broken," he finally told her.

"…Why?"

"Because of you," he muttered into his fists.

But she heard him.

"Did I hurt you?" she asked, fear weld in her eyes.

Uchiha's did _not_ let their emotions get clouded because of a _girl _out of all things.

He sighed one more time, unfolded his hands and brought his left one out so it was almost touching hers.

His hand was upturned gesturing for her to take it.

She did.

He gently helped her stand up from her slouched position on his couch and led her to his chair.

She sat on his lap, while his arms circled around her letting her slip into the tiny bit of space between the arm rest and his body.

Her legs draped over his thighs, and her head rested tenderly on his chest.

She traced her name onto his stomach with her fingers as she listened to his heartbeat beat arithmetically against her eardrum.

"Is this about when I kissed you?" she whispered.

He kissed the top of her head.

"Not really."

"Is this because I'm not a virgin anymore?"

He hold tightened drastically around her.

And he lowered his lips so they grazed the shell of her ear.

"Don't even _think_ that."

She looked him square in the eye.

"Then _tell_ me."

He couldn't resist.

At any other moment he would have been able to look past her shimmering green eyes.

But right then, at that moment. They held so much intensity and strength that he found himself drawn closer to them.

To her.

He dipped his head down and grazed his rough lips against hers.

She didn't respond.

But her slightly altered breathing was all he needed to know that this was affecting her just as much as him.

Sasuke then pressed every single piece of his heavy swayed lips onto her mouth, gripping the back of her head for extra effect.

She leaned her face slightly to the right, pursing her lips against his.

They worked in a dangerous pattern, putting more and more pressure into every movement.

They needed each other.

It was almost as simple as that.

He dismissed her top lip and nibbled roughly on her bottom one.

Creating a soft moan from her enclosed lips.

She breathed in his scent while his lips slipped down to her chin.

Peppermint, tealeaves, and after-shave had _never_ smelt so beautiful.

She would admit that.

He placed his other hand that wasn't strangling her hair on the curve of her narrow hip, sliding her even closer to his well-managed body.

She opened her mouth a little farther creating a bound of tension against their mouths.

Like what they already had wasn't enough to begin with.

Their lips strained, fought, played, and beat against each other in a rhythm undiscovered by others.

The intensity was rising, and they were both very aware of this fact.

He slipped his tongue inside her spearmint-flavored mouth at the very last second before her lips were on the verge of closing.

There lips moved in sync, like small ripples in the ocean.

There tongues battled and dominated in each others worn mouths like a raging war.

Their breaths ceased and cascaded like a thermometer.

And their hands searched and discovered all over each other, like they were on an expedition.

_Lust._

Sakura had had enough of this teasing.

She spread her legs a fair inch and a half along his body.

Thighs belted.

He almost shuddered with pure enjoyment, as she swung herself over his legs.

And in a half a second she was straddling him, grinding her pelvis into his hips, not missing a beat.

Sasuke grunted in satisfaction against her mouth.

She smirked in a conceded fashion, but quickly got back down to work.

She lifted the hem of his shirt upward enough to slip her hand underneath it.

She slid her hand up far enough to trace a long dawning circle around his belly button.

Expectant sighs were exchanged.

She grabbed the shirt from the inside and tugged it over his head.

His muscles gleamed in all there mighty glory.

There should be a magazine issue dedicated just to his built upper half she was currently assaulting with her eyes.

But he obviously wasn't in the mood to be ogled today.

He pressed his hands onto her hips, and slid his hands up, catching her soft fabricated shirt in the process.

As soon as he got up to the near bottom of her chest she lifted her arms up in indication to hurry his gracious groping game along.

As soon as her shirt hit the floor along with his he wasted no time in attacking his newfound pleasure.

Her neck.

He nibbled gently at first, sucking vigoursley at the smooth flesh beneath his teeth.

She arched her back away from him, leaving him an even longer canvas to work on.

Sakura etched him fingernails into his soft ebony hair, pulling him closer to her warming body.

He stretched his lips over her porcelain neck, digging his mouth into it even farther. Leaving a deep purplish red bruise in its wake.

She moaned when his lips traveled deeper into her collarbone, she put more weight into his hips.

He let a responding growl escape his lips.

He released his left hand from her waist; it quickly latched onto her breast.

He needed it hungrily.

Her thrusting was getting quicker.

His breathing was getting deeper.

Her hands were beginning to seep down to a lower spot on his shirtless form.

And his erotic reaction to her movements was starting to climax.

Somehow she had gotten his pants off.

He couldn't remember how. His mind was clouded with too many tainted thoughts at the time.

But she had done it.

Sasuke's plaid navy blue boxers moved underneath her.

She smirked at him, catching his dark wondering eyes in hers.

Sakura undid the first button of her electric blue shorts.

Showing off a tiny bit of the silky black underwear that came to match with her supportive bra.

His breath hitched.

He stared into her eyes again.

Taking in all of the raging emotions that were going on between them right now.

"Are you sure you want to do this Sakura?" he took the side of her face in his hand, inching his lips toward with every passing moment.

She smiled a little bit, dropping the corners of her mouth like they weren't needed.

But she nodded.

"I can't imagine anyone else that I could do this with," she barley whispered.

Their lips met in one heated motion.

"HEY HEY HEY MY LOVLEY TEAMATES I CAME TO BRING YOU GUYS SOME-."

The door leading to the study slammed open, producing a shockingly disturbed blond in its arch.

"Naruto! Get the fuck out of my house!" Sasuke yelled at him, while trying to cover Sakura up with a blanket he grabbed from the side of the chair.

Naruto stood there with his mouth wide open, not bothering to hide his obvious astonishment at his two best friends making out on the chair he would be sure not to sit in on a later date.

He ignored Sasuke's later comment and walked inside of the unusually warm room.

He made his way straight to Sasuke, leaned down and whispered:

"It's about freaking time you slimy dog, but just remember Sakura has been through more shit then either of us could probably handle so if you hurt her that gives me free permission to beat your ass…again."

Sasuke smirked at his comment.

"Hn."

Naruto stood up straight, and grinned brightly at Sakura.

"Have fun Sakura-Chan!"

She turned beat red.

As soon as Naruto left, Sasuke un-raveled the blanket from Sakura and wrapped his arms around her frail figure.

Stuffing his face into her hair.

Partly from trying to hide the nasty shade of pink that had somehow over thrown his cheeks.

And partly from missing the smell of her mixed fragrance that he could never seem to put his finger on.

"Naruto kind of ruined the mood," she muttered.

He frowned.

"I know what you mean."

* * *

The soft white pillows that he had gathered underneath himself curved solemnly against his arched back.

Providing all the support he needed at the moment.

_Sakura. _

He knew that his chance was gone.

He knew it to well.

And yet he couldn't let her go, not yet.

He sighed, pulling an arm over his tired eyes.

Neji thought back to the night before, when Sakura had kissed him.

He was confused as to why it happened, but he was not one to ask questions.

And the only thing that he was positively sure of, is that he wanted…needed to see her again.

They small box top window to the right of his body poured in signs of a new day.

Signs, of a change even.

And if destiny had the right coordinates planned out for him, then by tonight he would have his whish.

* * *

Sakura had sent every single one of Sasuke's servants home.

They looked like they needed a rest.

She had began making lunch, Tuna fish salad (with tomatoes imbedded in Sasuke's dish of course) Lazy pineapple cutouts, and flavored water she had persuaded Sasuke to buy two months ago when she came in here and couldn't find any.

She didn't bother calling Sasuke for lunch, he would find his way to the kitchen eventually.

Sakura hopped up onto the clear white kitchen counters.

She wasn't much of a sit-down-and-eat person.

Years of _experience_ had taught her that.

She dipped her fork into the Tuna salad, her belly rumbling with anticipation.

Four minutes into her well-done lunch, she immediately becomes alert as to why Sasuke hasn't bombarded down the stairs to claim his own plate of Tuna salad.

It was now exactly…12:08

And Sasuke knew that lunch was at twelve, he had enforced that rule four years ago.

Uchiha's were _never_ late.

The seconds tick by as she, more cautiously now, nibbles on the rhombus shaped pineapple pieces to the very left of her tuna.

She sat into silent moderation for another four in half minutes before she hoped down from the counter in one graceful swoop. And glided upstairs to find out where in the earth her host was hiding himself.

* * *

Sakura had made her way up twenty-five stairs when she had found the source of the problem.

The tall looming bathroom door came into her sight the minute she put her right foot of the square waxed landing.

The moving shadow under the doorframe caught her attention as soon as she was about to round the corner to Sasuke's room.

She slowly slithered to the bathroom door.

Her ear landed on the door softly as she stifled to listen.

The water had just turned on, the moment she hearing adjusted to the thick wood beneath her skull.

It streamed out heavily, landing in a sound uproar against the tiled shower floor.

A few moments later he heard a soft hiss coming from Sasuke inside the bathroom.

She furrowed her brows.

Was the water too hot?

But the water pressure was to heavy at this rate to be hot…nevertheless warm even.

She leaned in closer.

Sasuke wasn't making any change in the water patterns either.

_That water must be freezing. _

A clear thought came to her mind the moment those thoughts erupted.

_He's taking a cold shower._

Her thoughts then drifted to what had happened between them in Sasuke's study.

A soft strawberry hued blush arose to the apples of her cheeks.

She heard a loud grunt in the bathroom.

She assumed Sasuke had gotten in.

She just bit her lip, and giggled inside her closed mouth the whole way back down stairs.

* * *

The weather had turned into an edgy rain shower, pelting against ever window in the house as if asking if it may come in

The wind blew harshly against the trees forcing them to bend and wither under its command.

They sat by the fireplace, curled up in a large red cotton blanket.

A meter size distance separated the two.

The raging storm outside was there only distraction from each other.

The only movement in the room was the dwindling flames.

Sakura was ready to fall asleep, but she could almost contradict that Sasuke had something on his mind, so she waited.

He was tense and stiff, sitting as if the L shaped couch would burst into flames any second.

An hour had already passed by.

And she was done with waiting.

Her too thin body skimped towards his, slowly but surely.

He seemed to be way to lost in his own world to even notice the large blanket between them growing taunt with every one of Sakura's movements.

She curled up onto his side, finally shaking him out of his thoughts.

His first instinct was to immediately detach any girl that was sitting as close to him as the pink haired child was.

Uchiha's _always_ follow their instincts.

But even as quick as his instincts came they were quickly replaced when his right arm came up to snatch the feeble girl closer. And placed a feathery kiss on her head.

She closed her eyes for a moment, just absorbing every once of the moment she could store.

His lips altered from there usual non-consistent appearance to a hardly visible coxed smile.

The knock on Sasuke's door came so sudden, like a gunshot in a quiet grove.

But he grumbled enough for both of them as soon as he got up to answer the door.

The fire flickered after his quick movements.

She heard the door click open.

He scoffed.

"I think you have the wrong house _Hyuga_."

Sakura's heart wavered frantically.

_What the hell was he doing here?_

"I'm not here for you _Uchiha,_ I came here to see Sakura," she heard him say.

Sasuke only grunted in obvious anger and annoyance.

"She's busy."

Neji narrowed his eyes.

"With _what _exactly?"

The sole remaining Uchiha smirked at great satisfaction, providing Neji with one of the proudest looks he had ever given someone.

"Me," and he slammed the door.

Two seconds later, before Sasuke could even take a step away from his spot in the doorway, the door flew straight off the hinges and landed on the glass coffee table next to Sakura's feet, shattering it into a million sliver sized fragments.

Neji stomped inside the house in an angry huff.

"Neji," Sakura warned while getting up from her mangled position on the couch.

He grabbed her tense shoulders, dragging her closer to his crazed biosphere.

"Your mine," he whispered.

As the last syllable escaped his lips Sasuke had entered the picture before Sakura could even react.

"Stay the hell away from her," Sasuke appeared behind Neji, sending an airy fist at the back of his head.

It made contact.

Sakura jumped straight up in the air to avoid being trampled my Neji's flying body.

The small glass shards mingled with the interrupted force of gravity while Neji escaped backwards.

Almost floating until his mid back came into contact with Sasuke's living room wall.

He slid down the surface, like a finger tracing a line into the walls depths.

Everything became silent.

Even the rain outside had become a shrill thumping.

Sakura had landed right in front of Sasuke, taking in Neji's beaten appearance.

With one signifying punch Sasuke had defeated the all mighty Neji Hyuga.

One punch.

And Neji just lay there, suppressed by the large pool of blood swarming around his neck.

Starring so helplessly at her, wordlessly but in a powerful way.

One punch.

Sasuke could have beaten her that day, back in the woods.

But he didn't.

"You let me win," she whispered still starring at Neji.

"What?" Sasuke asked, stepping closer to her.

She just shook her head and turned around to face him.

"You still think I'm weak don't you," it was much more of a statement then her provided worded question.

He glowered down at her.

"You know I don't."

"Then why did you let me win, back when we fought each other in the forest?"

His gaze softened.

"This really isn't the time or place to discuss this Sakura," he was using his monotone voice with her, glancing at Neji you just smirked back.

"Its now or never Sasuke."

Sasuke paused.

Looked at Neji once again, mangled and bloody on the floor, to give him a little boost of confidence.

And took a deep breath.

"I let you win because…I hate having the feeling in my gut when I hurt you," he mumbled the last part.

Her hard stare didn't even falter.

He sighed loudly.

"Because…you mean a lot to me Sakura."

She had let a couple tears escape, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Say it and I'm yours," she whispered to him.

He knew exactly what he needed to say.

But his throat closed at the worst possible moment.

"I…"

Tears ran down her smooth checks, landing in equate splashes on her booming chest.

"Say it," she edged.

"I…"

She shook her head softly.

"Three words…eight letters," she whispered.

His heart padded against his rib cage.

He knew what he had to say to make her stay.

And he knew that there was absolutely no one else he could even consider presenting those words to.

"I…Lo…I."

She took a step backwards.

"Not good enough," she barley said.

His eardrums rang with warning.

_She's getting away again!_

He knew he had to say it.

Now or never, this was no time for pride.

"I love you."

Sakura cocked her head around.

Her vision was blurry with tears, and her throat was burning with stress.

And her chest heaved with the weight of the situation.

Her eyes locked with Neji's

She let out a tight sob.

"I love you," Neji said again.


	8. Existence

Sleepless nights of an unloved child

Nothing could have prepared her for this.

Nothing.

Nothing, in her life had given her such an uncomfortable jolt such as this.

Nothing.

And nothing could have made her heart wrench and skitter underneath her flesh from the pathetic helpless look Neji was providing her with right now.

Nothing

She could only stand there, tears running down her shapely cheeks, loss for words.

Love, is anything but a dictionary reference. It's unexplainable but so very worth it.

But once you love someone the worst thing you can do is fall _in love_ with them.

And she knew that.

Sakura looked over at Neji's distraught form.

_But did he?_ Was the question.

"_You bastard_," Sasuke whispered in a shaky choleric tone.

It sent more than chills down her spine.

"Neji I…" what was she supposed to say?

"Don't Sakura," Neji barley murmured.

She gulped.

"You love him," he nodded towards the indignant Sasuke behind her. "I know that."

She could only close her eyes and let the last of her tears brim over the underbelly of her eyelashes.

Her head bobbed sadly, and she quietly whispered a small _yes _as if answering her own unspoken question.

"Yes," she said again.

"And I love you," Neji added.

She closed her eyes once again, opening her mouth to let out a wistful breath. Eight steps separated the spacious gape between them; she filled it within a second.

She circled her hands around his tired looking face, bringing it close to hers.

She could hear Sasuke growl smidingly behind her

"When I say goodbye this time," she whispered to him. "I mean it Neji."

His frown dropped further down into his red lips, thoroughly making him look at least ten years older.

"No matter how much I love you, I am truly _in love_ with Sasuke…that wouldn't be fair," she said to him.

A deep throaty sigh gathered in the swell of his neck, reaching the thin part in his lips in one exhale.

"Since when is anything fair…" he mumbled his one last attempt.

But she smiled in response, leaning forward and pressing her cold lips against his forehead.

"Goodbye," she whispered to him.

Humiliated and defeated Neji gathered his broken limbs and bloody composure sourly, climbing steadily to his feet with Sakura's help. He made his way to the front door.

"Goodbye Sakura," he whispered back to her.

She smiled a teary smile and opened to door, leaving Neji to walk out of her life…forever.

* * *

Neji had trudged along many many obstacles in his life, but never one as excruciating, humiliating, and battering as the one that had been spread across his already vacant life minutes before.

Boy fell in love with a heartbreak of a girl.

Girl was to blind to see it.

Boy lost girl.

Girl fell in love with another.

"_Classic_," Neji grumbled.

In all of his life, he would have never thought his _heart_ would be the most cynical weapon used against him. But as misery would play it, destruction was the only play left on his agenda, submerged and inflamed as soon as that pin was pulled out of the already deafening grenade.

His tired body lurched forward into the cold bitter night, lost in the sober core of his own emotions.

Consumed by nothing his last thoughts contained a sting of venom in them as he broke into a trembling sprint.

_Destiny sucks._

* * *

They had not spoken a word to each other since Neji had left. The sky was a faded dark and the lights had begun to turn dim.

As she picked up another glass shard, she could feel the multiple scarps burn and linger on her fingertips, blood oozing from the deeper ones.

She bit into her middle finger, trying to efficiently suck away the blood, while picking up the other glass shards with her left hand.

The broken coffee table seemed so much larger then it had half an hour ago.

"_Ouch_," she whimpered lightly as another piece of glass embedded itself deeply into her finger.

She shivered as she carefully watched the deep red liquid gleam in all its glory down the narrow stretch of her finger.

"Let me help you with that," she heard him whisper behind her.

She knew she should have completely ignored him, built her barrier around herself once again and walked out of his life just as he had done to her…but she couldn't.

_But I cant go on like this with him either_, she reminded herself.

As she wordlessly lowered her left hand down far enough for him to reach it, he pulled her tightly into his meiotic grasp spinning her in a full 180-degree circle so her face smashed into the warm hardness of his gray cotton T-shirt.

"…I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair, remorse evident in his slick voice.

He kissed the side of her temple forcefully, as if he was afraid she would pull away from him at any moment. Only this time she knew he would let go.

His chest raised and fell in a very shaky manner make the rest of her body quack with him.

"Sasuke…?" she questioned wearily.

"I really do love you Sakura," he mumbled into her hairline, caressing the sides of her face with both of his thumbs. "I really really do."

"How can I be sure?" she accidentally whispered to him. "How can I be sure your just saying that to make me stay…or because Neji said it first."

Sasuke sighed loudly, shifting his weight to the balls of his feet, and straitening his lean legs until he was standing with Sakura in his arms. He carried her over to the large L-shaped couch and dropped them both steadily onto the soft cushions. His chest solely supported her small head as her thin legs bent themselves underneath his own. His arms gathered her frame into a small ball around his mescaline body and his chin rested vaguely atop her messy tresses.

"Do you remember the day I came back home?" he asked her softly.

She nodded her head faintly, how could she forget.

"How when Naruto dragged me through the front gates so badly injured they had to send me to the hospital as soon as I got there?"

She remembered that day so well; it almost burnt in the far corner of her brain. He had been sent in on a moments notice conjured with many fractures and broken limbs. She had been requested to see forth that he was properly taken care of for the rest of his hospital stay.

He laughed a little at her reminiscent façade. He leaned closer.

"You don't think Naruto did that _all_ by himself did you?" he questioned with amusement.

"…I'm confused," she admitted.

"In my…absence," he started. "I grew very…found of Konoha when I-."

"You were homesick," Sakura interrupted, a small grin spreading across her lips.

He growled at her tone.

"During times when I had no scheduled practices in sound or when Orichimaru went on separate 'hunting' not involving me I would often find myself walking randomly throughout the woods surrounding our cavern. And during those times I would always end up walking straight in the direction of Konoha."

Her confused glance from before lingered in the creases of her forehead as she absorbed his words.

"And then one day I decided 'what the hell, I'll walk all the way this time'…and I did. But as I snuck around the quiet streets of my childhood I stumbled upon…you," Sasuke quieted.

"Me?"

"You were walking to the hospital, at first I didn't know why though, you weren't hurt or anything so I followed you…and I realized you worked there and you were telling people what do and stuff…"

She nodded again. "Head doctor of sections one and two most likely," she mumbled in the core of her throat as Sasuke continued.

"I was astonished that you had made it so far…moved on with your life. You looked so different, I wouldn't have stopped that day if I hadn't have seen the pink hair," he unconsciously picked up a strand of velvety long pink hair, numbing it in between his fingers.

"I wanted to see you again, so I did…twice a month…for almost two years."

A bitter stream of anger blurred past her vision and straight to her mouth, Sasuke seemed to notice.

"What?" she hissed.

"I left you behind for a reason Sakura, so you could be safe…We've been over this. I wasn't about to risk it by letting you back into my life," he almost pleaded her with his somber edited eyes.

She huffed, apparently her sign for him to go on.

"…And then Naruto came to sound, and I took this as my chance. I had already killed my brother Three months before hand and I knew Orichimaru was planning on getting a hold of my body any day then so I acted quickly. Naruto and Kakashi had successfully beaten Orichimaru within four hours of coming after me. I pretended to put up a good fight, hitting him at all the right times, insulting him when needed. But I let him win, knowing that everything I had to live for was back home where I knew he would take me."

Her breath had hitched halfway during the last part of his enthralling story, her eyes blazed as tears washed over her pupils, but she tightly held in there status form.

He pulled her closer to his warm body, clinging to her in a somewhat desperate fashion as he continued.

_This is so unlike him_, she thought as she could hear his heart speed up.

"When we were half way there I realized my injuries were healing much to quickly for my likening, but luckily Naruto tied me to a trunk of a tree and showed me _exactly_ what he thought of me at that moment. He brought me back the same day and I made sure I looked like I could die at any moment so they would take me to the hospital."

"But why-?"

"So I could see you," he barely whispered into her ear. "I needed to see you, I came back for you. And I knew you were the one in charge over there. You would be informed right away that I was back. Leaving the rest of the pieces to fall where they had to," he finished, kissing the tender skin behind her ear.

She was speechless; forming a sentence was becoming a pitiful task on her take.

"…Wh-…ah, so…you spied on me for two years, let Naruto beat you up…twice, faked your way into my hospital, and let Naruto take all of the glory from it just so you could see me again?" her questionable.

"I spied on you for two years, Let Naruto beat me up, faked my way into your hospital, and let Naruto gain a small population of fan girls so I could _be _with you again."

She let the tears fall.

"_I love you_," he whispered gently, kissing the length of her shoulder to hollow of her cheekbones with such urgency he was almost positive she could _feel _the way he felt right now.

"But if you tell anyone what I told you tonight were going to have some problems," he advised.

Her graceful laugh filled the room with the light it didn't have, she rolled over onto his lap so her legs were on either side of his hips.

"This stays between us," she breathed into his mouth as she roughly stuck her lips to his.

* * *

The End?


End file.
